Tales from the German, Comprising specimens from the most celebrated authors
General
Tales from the German, Comprising specimens from the most celebrated authors
German fiction -- Translations into English; Short stories
The situation of the elector, when he learned the news, grew worse and
worse; indeed to such a degree, that the physician, during three
portentous days, was in the greatest anxiety for his life, which seemed
attacked from more sides than one. However, by the force of his
naturally strong constitution, after keeping his bed for several
painfully passed weeks, he recovered sufficiently to be removed to a
carriage, and thus, with an ample store of cushions and coverlets, to
be conveyed to Dresden to the affairs of his government. As soon as he
had reached the city he sent for Prince Christian of Misnia, and asked
him how matters were going on with respect to the mission of the
Councillor Eibenmeyer, who was to be sent to Vienna as attorney in the
Kohlhaas affair, to complain to the emperor of the breach of the
imperial peace. The prince told him that this councillor had set off
to Vienna, in conformity with the instructions, which he had left when
he went to Dahme, immediately after the arrival of the Jurist Zäuner,
whom the Elector of Brandenburg had sent as attorney to Dresden, to
prosecute the suit about the horses against the Squire Wenzel von
Tronka.
The elector, who, deeply colouring, withdrew to his writing-table,
expressed his astonishment at this haste, since he had, to his
knowledge, declared that the departure of Eibenmeyer was to wait for
nearer and more definite instructions, a reference to Dr. Luther, who
had procured the amnesty for Kohlhaas, being first necessary. With an
expression of suppressed anger, he turned over and over the documents
that lay upon the table. The prince, after staring at him for some
time in silence, said, that he should be sorry if he had not conducted
this affair to the satisfaction of his sovereign, adding, that in the
state-council not a word had been said about a reference to Dr. Luther;
and that although perhaps at an earlier part of the proceedings it
would have been proper to refer to this reverend gentleman, on account
of his intercession for Kohlhaas, it was now no longer requisite, since
the amnesty had already been broken in the eyes of the whole world, and
Kohlhaas had been arrested, and delivered up to the Brandenburg
tribunal for judgment and execution.
The elector admitted that the mistake in sending Eibenmeyer was not so
great, but expressed his wish that he should not appear at Vienna in
his official capacity of prosecutor till he had received further
instructions, and told the prince to communicate this to him
accordingly through an express. The prince replied that this command
came unfortunately a day too late, since Eibenmeyer, according to a
notice which had arrived that very day, had appeared in the quality of
attorney, and had proceeded to bring the complaint before the
state-chancery in Vienna.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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